This term we have been looking at mental health in our Wise Wednesday sessions in crew. All students have approached this maturely and we have had so really thoughtful and in-depth discussions.
This week crew made posters to round off our topic to display in our crew room.
Fab work from all!
Mrs Barnes
Take a look into X31 Skipper’s classroom, where they have been working hard crafting and practicing their fluency skills in English!
Students have embraced the challenge of building their fluency and comprehension skills through one of our anchor text stories, ‘A Storm in a Teashop‘, focusing on the events during the First World War. It was a brilliant display of reading, with each student nailing key pauses, skilful dramatisation, and the use of clauses and tone pitch. Their interpretations not only shed light on stories of the First World War, but also showed courage and compassion for one another.
Take a look at the attached video to see the magic of X31 Skipper in action!
C31 students have kicked off the term with an incredible first week of immersion! They have been working hard, getting smart, and being kind as they tried to figure out what their new expedition will be about. Many came close with their guesses, but the big reveal happened on Friday — and it was worth the wait!
Throughout the week, students engaged with new protocols, supported each other, and worked collaboratively. They also had the chance to interact with an expert in war artefacts, Michael and explore these artefacts, setting the stage for their upcoming expedition. It’s been awesome to see their teamwork, curiosity, and kindness as they navigated this exciting start to the year.
Check out the video below to see all the amazing work Year 7 has been doing. What a fantastic week!
Today marked the first D6 session of Year 11, and also of 2025!
A number of incredibly dedicated Y11 students attended this morning and worked on science, maths, history and art work. The focus was a sight to behold – some great independent, and some small group work! Keep up the excellent work, guys – and thank you to the staff who supported on a frosty Saturday morning!
Crew KBA were thinking of ways we could raise money for our chosen charity ‘Helping Hands’ who help families around Doncaster. We came up with guess the penguins name. This was decided as this could be priced at 50p and also the person who guessed correctly would receive the penguin before Christmas. With 40 people guessing they raised £20 which is a great start to supporting our charity.
There was a lucky student who guessed correctly and this will be announced on student notices today 🙂
Shaun the Sheep is helping us make Christmas Jumper Day 2024 the best day ever!
As the charity’s new ‘Head of Wool’, Shaun has collaborated with Save the Children to make the world better with a sweater and wants children across the UK to join the flock
Christmas Jumper Day will take place on the 12th December 2024.
Put on your favourite Christmas jumper, donate £2 to Save the Children and help kids everywhere get the best future ever.
On the same day, the school kitchen will be cooking Christmas dinner for staff and pupils and our fabulous PE department are running a ‘Santa Dash’ (so please also bring a Santa hat for the day).
If you can, please donate via our school just giving page rather than bringing in cash in on the day.
Looking forward to seeing you in your Christmas jumpers.
Year 8 have the amazing opportunity to take part in a day of art workshops in Leeds for fieldwork to do with their ‘Being Human’ expedition.
One of the basics of humanity is our ability to create, and the students will be involved in practical workshops from the Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute on Wednesday the 27th of November.
This fieldwork will take place during the school day so it is important that your child arrives on time for the coach which will leave during crew.
Please make sure your child brings a packed lunch, as they will be eating in the gallery spaces. Free school meals will be provided for students who usually have them.
This week in our wise Wednesday time we looked at online safety. students were asked to write down ‘helpful’ and ‘unhelpful’ online behaviours and display them on the board. Here are just a few of the examples that were added. The discussions around this were great and all of crew were active members in this task.
This week in crew I asked crew members to find a piece of work or something they have done that they are proud of. Students sent both written work and art work either completed in school or in their free time. We noticed that these were really individual and that they gave an insight to their identity and who they were. This is a topic we have been looking at in our Wise Wednesday sessions so it was great to see this theme carried on.
Celebrating Jenson Owen: A Triumph of Team Spirit and Integrity
On Sunday, October 6th, Jenson Owen took to the waters of Ponds Forge, Sheffield, competing in the National County Team Championships. It was a day filled with excitement, anticipation, and high stakes for Jenson and his team. Racing in both the relay and backstroke events, Jenson demonstrated not only his skill but also his resilience and sportsmanship.
The team finished an incredible second place overall. For many, this would be a moment of celebration—a testament to months of hard work, dedication, and unity. Yet, Jenson felt that their second-place finish was somehow a failure. It’s natural to want to be the best, but in reality, the result was far from a letdown. This wasn’t just about a medal; it was about the shared effort and commitment of every swimmer, the mutual support, and the camaraderie that pushed them through.
Jenson’s response reveals a deeper strength of character: courage. Courage isn’t just facing challenges head-on; it’s also having the fortitude to push forward even when the result isn’t what you hoped for. It’s easy to celebrate success, but true courage is found in embracing the journey and acknowledging that every effort, every race, and every second in the pool contributes to the whole team’s success.
What stands out most about Jenson is not just his physical prowess, but his craftsmanship and the quality he brings to his swimming. Craftsmanship in this context isn’t just about perfecting a stroke or hitting a certain time. It’s about the way Jenson approaches the sport: with a keen eye for improvement, a desire to refine his skills, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Each race is a masterpiece in the making, and every practice is a brushstroke toward his ultimate potential.
And then, there’s integrity. This shines through in the way Jenson supports his teammates, the way he competes, and the way he reflects on his performance. It’s in how he holds himself accountable, both when he wins and when he feels he falls short. But most importantly, it’s in the way he understands that being part of a team means every single member contributes to the final outcome. When they climbed onto that podium for second place, it was a shared victory—something bigger than any individual performance.
Standing by the side of the pool, cheering him on, were his parents, myself, and Miss Burns. We couldn’t have been prouder. To witness Jenson push himself, to see him give everything he had for his team—that’s what sportsmanship and teamwork are all about. His parents beamed with pride, sharing in every moment, knowing that the courage and integrity they see in him each day were on full display.
So, while Jenson might feel that he fell short of his own expectations, to us, it was a massive triumph. Not because of a second-place finish, but because of the heart, the spirit, and the unwavering determination he showed. In a sport that’s often focused on individual results, Jenson reminded us all that it’s the collective effort and the character we build that matter most. That’s something no medal can measure.
